Texas Gov. Rick Perry , calling his indictment politically motivated , vowed Saturday to fight charges he abused his power by trying to pressure a district attorney to resign .

`` This farce of a prosecution will be revealed for what it is , and those responsible will be held accountable , '' Perry said at a news conference in Austin , the capital .

A grand jury in Travis County indicted Perry , a Republican , on two felony counts stemming from his threat to veto funding for a statewide public integrity unit run by Travis Country District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg , a Democrat , unless she stepped down , according to the special prosecutor in the case , Michael McCrum .

The case centers on Perry 's June 2013 veto of the $ 7.5 million budget for the unit run by Lehmberg , after she refused his demand to resign following her drunken driving arrest and conviction .

Perry faces accusations of coercion of a public servant and abuse of his official capacity in connection with the threat and veto .

Right to veto ?

According to McCrum , the indictment alleges that the circumstances around Perry 's veto threat amounted to a misuse of state money earmarked by the Legislature to fund the public integrity unit in Travis County run by Lehmberg .

The second charge alleges that he improperly used the veto threat to get her to resign following her arrest on a drunk driving charge . She stayed in office .

But the governor said under the state constitution he has the discretionary right to veto items in the state budget .

`` I exercised this discretion , '' he said .

Read the indictment -LRB- PDF -RRB-

Perry defended his actions , pointing to Lehmberg 's blood alcohol level at the time of her arrest in April 2013 and then her behavior during her arrest , which was captured on video and made public .

`` Given that information and given that choice again , that is exactly what I would do again , '' Perry said .

The governor said the indictment amounted to nothing more than `` abuse of power . ''

`` We do n't settle political differences with indictments in this country , '' Perry said .

CNN affiliate KVUE reported that Perry will have to report to the Travis County Jail in Austin to be booked , fingerprinted and have his photo made for a mugshot .

Political implications

Perry can continue to serve as governor while under indictment , KVUE reported . His attorneys could seek to have the charges thrown out , a motion that would delay the case , at the very least .

The charges have serious political implications , both in Texas and beyond . Perry is entering his final few months in office after a historic 14-year run in Austin .

Perry 's presidential prospects could be damaged . It 's an open secret he 's laying groundwork for a second presidential campaign after his disastrous 2012 effort .

The governor is scheduled to visit the early primary states of New Hampshire and South Carolina in the coming weeks to meet with Republican activists and legislators . He has positioned himself as an early conservative alternative to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie , another GOP presidential contender .

Perry attorney David L. Botsford on Friday called the indictment a violence of the separation of powers , saying it `` sets a dangerous precedent by allowing a grand jury to punish the exercise of a lawful and constitutional authority afforded to the Texas governor . ''

The special prosecutor , McCrum , told the San Antonio Express-News the claim the case was politically motivated was `` not only ridiculous , but it 's disappointing . ''

`` I think it 's important to note that while that may be good rhetoric for the state , there 's absolutely no basis for it , '' he told the newspaper .

`` My investigation not only did not involve that , but my conversations with Mr. Botsford have never involved that . It 's always been about the facts and the law . That 's what this case is all about -- the facts and the law , and nothing else . ''

Support for Perry

Even so , a number of national political figures -- on both sides of the political line -- came to Perry 's defense .

`` Unless he was demonstrably trying to scrap the ethics unit for other than his stated reason , Perry indictment seems pretty sketchy , '' David Axelrod , President Barack Obama 's former top adviser , said in a post on Twitter .

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush , a Republican , also took to Twitter on the issue : `` the indictment of @GovernorPerry seems politically motivated and ridiculous . Major overreach and an encroachment on his veto authority . ''

But the Texas Democratic Party called on Perry to resign , saying in a written statement that the governor `` brought dishonor to his office , his family and the state of Texas .

`` We call on Governor Perry to immediately step down from office . Texans deserve real leadership and this is unbecoming of our governor . ''

Perry 's indictment is the first of a sitting governor in Texas on such charges since 1917 when , according to The Dallas Morning News , James `` Pa '' Ferguson was indicted for vetoing funding for the University of Texas in an attempt to push out faculty and staff . He resigned .

Opinion : The case against Perry

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Gov. Rick Perry says the indictment is politically motivated and vows to fight it

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Perry lawyer calls indictments `` political abuse of the court system ''

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Indictment by country grand jury in Texas stems from effort to remove local prosecutor

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Perry allegedly threatened to veto funding for a program run by the DA in Austin